Rules



E. E. HELIN Nov. 15, 1955 RULES Filed May 21, 1953 mmrfotw INVENTOR.

EEEO E HELIN BY E 4 TTOP/VE) United States Patent 2,723,458 RULES Eero E. Helin, Cold Spring Harbor, N. Y. Application May 21, 1953, Serial No. 356,559 6 Claims. (Cl. 33-115 This invention relates to rules and particularly to a device adapted for use with a pair of rules or with a folding rule or rule sections for the purpose of forming a square.

The invention has for its salient object to provide a simple, practical, and inexpensive rule device or attachment adapted to hold a pair of rules or rule sections in position to form a right angle therebetween.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the drawings which form a part of this application, and in which Fig. l is a perspective elevation of a portion of a folding rule having incorporated therein or mounted thereon a device or attachment for holding a pair of connected sections at right angles to each other;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the folding rule;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the ends of a pair of connected sections disposed to form a right angle;

Fig. 6 is a perspective plan view showing one of the clips used in making up the device; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the other clip.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the device is shown in connection with a folding rule comprising a plurality of hinged sections 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. These sections are hinged together at alternate ends and when folded present the appearance shown in Fig. 2. At the hinged ends the rule sections have secured thereto clips A and B, these clips having longitudinally extending flanges 20 and 21 adapted to embrace the end portions of the sections, which may, if desired, be reduced in width, as shown in the drawings. Each of the clips B has a pair of longitudinally extending lugs 22 and 23 struck up from the bottom face thereof, viewing Figs. 1 and 7. The lugs 22 and 23 have their inner ends 24 and 25 spaced apart to receive between them the longitudinally extending flanges of the clips A, and the ends 24 and 25 are disposed at right angles to the side edges of the rule or flanges so that the flanges will fit between the lugs and will be held thereby in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5 or, in other words, in such a position as to hold the rule sections and 11 at right angles to each other.

The clips A and B and the rule sections embraced thereby are recessed, as shown at 30 and 31, and these rule sections and the clips A and B are hingedly connected by a pin 32. A leaf spring 33 is mounted on the pin 32 and is held in position by a head 34, the spring functioning to hold the clips A and B and the rule sections embraced thereby in engagement with each other. When one of the sections, as, for instance, the section 10, is swung on its pivot pin 32, the spring 33 will permit the clips and rule sections to separate so that the section 10 can be moved to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5 to form a right angle with the section 11. If, however, the folding rule is to be used for measurement or with the sections in alined position, the rule can be swung through 180", in which case the lugs 22 and 23 will register with corresponding but inwardly extending lugs 35 and 36 formed. on the clip A.

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If desired, instead of using the clips on a hinged rule, the clips may be mounted on two separate rules and may be used to hold these rules at right angles to each other.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A rule comprising a pair of hinged sections, the hinged ends of said sections having mounted thereon clips, each clip having flanges arranged to embrace the side edges of a rule section, one of the clips having a pair of longitudinally extending lugs struck out from the face thereof, said lugs being spaced to receive between them the flanges of the other clip, and resilient means to hold the clips and connected sections in alined or right angular relation with respect to each other.

2. A rule attachment comprising a pair of clips, each clip having flanges adapted to embrace a rule section, said clips being hingedly connected, one of the clips having a pair of longitudinally extending lugs struck out from the face thereof, said lugs being spaced to receive between them the flanges of the other clip, and resilient means to hold the clips and connected sections in alined or right angular relation with respect to each other.

3. A rule comprising a pair of hinged sections, the hinged ends of said sections having mounted thereon clips, each clip having flanges arranged to embrace the side edges of a rule section, one of the clips having a pair of longitudinally extending lugs struck out from the face thereof, said lugs being spaced to receive between them the flanges of the other clip, and resilient means to hold the clips and connected sections in alined or right angular relation with respect to each other, the inner ends of the lugs being disposed at right angles to the flanges.

4. A rule clip attachment comprising a pair of clips, each consisting of an elongated, flat plate having a pair of parallel flanges at the longitudinal edges adapted to embrace the edges of a rule, and one of said clips having portions oifset from the plate in a direction opposite to the direction of the flanges, said portions being spaced longitudinally on the plate and adapted to embrace the flanges of the other plate.

5. A rule clip attachment comprising a pair of clips, each consisting of an elongated, llat plate having a pair of parallel flanges at the longitudinal edges adapted to embrace the edges of a rule, and one of said clips having portions ottset from the plate in a direction opposite to the direction of the flanges, said portions being spaced longitudinally on the plate and adapted to embrace the flanges of the other plate, the opposed faces of said olfset portions being disposed at substantially right angles to the flanges.

6. A rule comprising a pair of hinged sections, the hinged ends of the sections having mounted thereon longitudinally extending plates disposed between and extending substantially to the edges of the rule ends, one of said plates having a pair of lugs extending outwardly from the face thereof, said lugs being spaced to receive between them the edges of the other rule end, and resilient means to hold the plates and rule ends alined or at right angles to each other, the inner ends of the lugs being disposed substantially at right angles to the rule edges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,907,459 Stowell May 9, 1933 

